Game on
by Ifawishofwonder
Summary: Who will tell Brennan about Booths Proposal plans?
1. Chapter 1

This is unfortunately not Beta-d but i really wanted to get this up so sorry for the mistakes.

I disclaim anything recognisable.

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The door to Sweets office crept open and the forensic anthropologist snuck her head in to the gap between the door and the frame. Brennan never liked coming into Sweet office- his domain- alone, she knew the fear was irrational but being summoned to see Sweets alone never ended well for her.

"You wanted to see me. Have you finished your profile on the girl?" Brennan asked hoping this was a professional visit not one of Sweets misguided attempts at being her 'friend' or worse 'therapist.'

Sweet was poised in his Chair, as if he had been waiting for her arrival. His head was in his hands, his eyes focused on the floor. He shook himself and sat up at the sound of her voice.

"Come in Dr. Brennan." _Oh great Therapist._

"Cam said you needed to talk to me." Brennan stared into Sweets eyes taunting him the best way she knew how. This may be Sweets domain but she could still try to intimidate him.

"Yes, Brennan" _Friend eurgh_

Sweets paused took a breath, steadied himself under her glare before he continued. "I did something unprofessional last night. In my defence I was wasted, bloutered, off my face, tanked, way over the limit." At Brennan's Crinkled brow he added "Under the influence of alcohol."

"Did you cheat on Daisy? Because I have heard that many unplanned one night stand happen under the influence of alcohol, although I do not understand why you are coming to me about it. Is it because we spent 7 months together in the jungle you think that makes us close? Because even though I spent a lot of time with Daisy I try not to favour my interns or form bonds with them"

"NO, God NO... I didn't, I wouldn't... well there was this one time but it didn't count she came on to me and I stopped it...whoa" Brennan smirked she had one-upped the therapist. _Brennan 1 Sweets 0._

"Then what possible reason would I be concerned with what you did whilst under the influence- wait you didn't drink drive and accidentally kill someone and you want m to help you cover it up, because that would make me uncomfortable considering we both work with Booth every day and he is FBI and can tell when I'm lying." Brennan continued looking adequately worried. _Brennan 2 Sweets 0._

"No stop talking it's not really about what I did but the reaction to what I did that is relevant to you." Sweets raced.

"OK" Brenna said unconvinced.

"I was drunk..."

"Under the influence of alcohol" Brennan interrupted. _Brennan 3 Sweets 0._

Sweets let out a sigh and nodded "I was with Booth..."

"You and Booth went out drinking together that must have been fun for you considering your need to feel accepted by Booth as an older male." Brennan observed. _Brennan 4 Sweets 0._

"Not the point. The point is we were drunk"

"You said that"

Sweets glared indicating that Brennan should stop interrupting him. _Brennan 5 Sweets 0._

"I was talking about Daisy and the future and proposing"

Brennan couldn't help herself. "Are you going to use the same ring because well Daisy and I had an incident and well the ring... I do not generally believe in the intrinsic value of object but to you and Daisy who are both romantics do. And I assume that the ring lost some of it intrinsic value when it was flushed out of a toilet."

"No, I don't know if I am proposing to Daisy or not, but you are right I can't use the same ring." Sweets agreed, "Dr Brennan" _therapist_ "MY point was not that I am going to propose, it's that Booth is."

_Game set match Sweets._

"Oh." Brennan breathed before she readied herself behind her walls "is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, but I also wanted to tell you that I am sorry, I used some of my knowledge of Booths neurosis's to jibe him into action and at the time I did not believe he would go through with it, but we went ring shopping today and he was sure, and I thought you had a right to know." Sweets stopped his rambling as Brennan got up from her seat across from Sweets.

"Ok, is that it?" Brennan asked as she approached the door.

"Yeah" Sweets nodded.

Sweets watched as Brennan left the room before mumbling "That is why you should never drink and shrink."


	2. Friends with Hangups

"Brennan arrived back at the Jeffersonian her mind racing. The rational part of her brain which was usually the loudest voice in her head was reminding her that this was expected Booth loved Hannah this is what people in love do. However today a louder voice that she could not name was screaming "Nooooooo"

Brennan knew she had to get back into her office and calm herself down before she engaged in any social interactions.

Unfortunately her best friend was in the mood for girl time. The case had been affecting her more than usual, the pregnancy hormones plus her newfound anxiety about becoming a mother allowing her to become overly invested in the murdered boy.

"Bren, have you talked to Booth, is the girl a suspect?" Angela said as she crossed the space from her office to block Brennan's path to her own.

"Uh no, I haven't spoken to Booth," Brennan attempted to remain neutral. However the quiver of her voice over her partners name betrayed her.

"Uh oh, what's happened now? Did he say something to upset you? Is he being a jerk?" Angela momentarily lost all of her concerns as she focused in on her friends obvious heart break. "With thing like this it often takes time to get back to normal, the things he says may come off as harsh but he probably doesn't mean them that way it's just going to be awkward for a while but it will get better sweetie" Angela reassured.

At this Brennan shook her head "I told you I haven't spoken to Booth"

"I thought you went to visit the Hoover was Booth not there?" Angela was genuinely confused what ad made her friend so confused.

"I went to see Sweets" Brennan stipulated.

"Oh what did baby boy shrink want? Did he advise celibacy because I for one disagree with his prescription." Angela tried to joke.

During the conversation Brennan's sorrow was quickly turning into anger which is why she snapped.

"NO, he wanted to experiment on me again. Examine my reactions. Like I'm this anomaly under his microscope that he cannot explain easily, God, I hate him, why can't he and his useless doctorate just leave me alone." Brennan yelled startling her friend and arousing attention to the pair.

Angela reached out and soothed Brennan's Arm "I'm sure that's not what he was trying to do Sweets is your friend. I'm sure you just misinterpreted his actions. What did he say?"

Brennan scoffed at her 'Best friend' immediate defence of the other party and pulled away from her soothing hand. "Sweets took great pleasure in informing me that Booth is proposing to Hannah. Apparently he felt I should be told."

"Oh, so you're not really mad at Sweets you're mad at Booth but you can't be mad at Booth because that just makes you look jealous and pitiful so you are taking it out on Sweets." Angela translated.

"No. I am mad at Sweets for once can't you just be on my side." Brennan had tears in her eyes threatening to fall.

"I'm always on your side Bren..." Angela was cut off by a bitter laugh from Brennan.

"Really, I come to you and you judge me, question my decisions, and tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I just don't get it. Yet if I was to ever question your decisions be anything less than 100% supportive you would begin to question why we are even friends." Brennan was yelling.

"What that's not true. I would never... " Angela was feeling the anger rise in herself.

"Yes you would, you stopped talking to me because I disagreed with you over a pig"

"Well excuse me if I want you to exhibit a little heart. To show you actually are Human not some robot." Angela went for the jugular.

"Well if that's really how you see me then fine. Forget that I was the one who stood by you whilst you mourned Kurt, when you got together with Hodgins when you decided to marry Hodgins even when you had huge doubts, I stood by you when everyone thought you here insane for forgetting you where married, I didn't judge when you told me you kissed Grayson, I didn't abandon you when you where heartbroken after Hodgins and you split. I supported your decisions to date Roxie and even Wendall, which was one of the most inappropriate relationships I have ever witnessed not only, was he Hodgins friend but he was an intern. I didn't comment on how you could be so irresponsible to have a pregnancy scare at your age and I didn't Laugh at your ridiculous impromptu wedding. I always accepted your irresponsible attitude to indulging it whatever takes you fancy as just who you are cant you do the same for me and stop trying to change me?"

"Brennan... I can't believe you just said all that... and just for the record I didn't want to change you I just wanted people to see the person I see not the robot you pretend to be. I just wanted you to let people in, not scare them away. I wanted you to live your life not just hideaway in limbo with the dead people."

Brennan took a deep Breath. "I'm Sorry; I shouldn't be taking this out on you. You really did nothing wrong you are just trying to be my friend, I'm sorry I shouldn't be angry at you or sweet or anyone this is my fault I should just start dealing with the consequences."

"Brennan you're allowed to be mad. Ok. You're allowed to yell and scream and say that it's unfair because quite frankly it's not. It's not fair. Sweets shouldn't have been the one to tell you. Booth should have known to wait for you all those months ago given you more time. So you are allowed to get mad at the universe for a little while. It's ok."

Angela had approached Brennan during her speech and had wrapped an arm round her shoulder unable to give a real hug due to the baby bump.

"Thank you, I didn't mean all the things I said, well I did but those are also kind of the reasons I love you. And you're going to be a great Mom just you know discuss things with Hodgins when it comes to the big stuff he at least sometimes approaches things rationally." Brennan nudged Angela in the ribs to end the hug.

"How'd you know that's what I'm worried about?" Angela Laughed.

"You keep stroking your stomach every time you talk about the victim and when Booth mentioned the victim's mother you all but sneered." Brennan answered as if cataloguing evidence. "And I know you."

"Mmhm, I'm not sure I like it when you're the one reading me. Makes me feel predictable." The women laughed only now noticing the attention they were receiving from the rest of the Lab."

Brennan Bolstered and glared at them. "What you looking at? Don't you have work to do?"

"Come on the Baby needs fed and Aunty Bren is paying." Angela said pushing the anthropologist out the door. "So how are we getting revenge on Sweets?" she asked as they swept through the sliding doors.

Brennan's eyes twinkled with mischief.

...


	3. the niggles

thanks to everyone who has added my story to there story alerts. I would also like to thank southland lady for her review.

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Booth sat in his office absentmindedly toying with the ring box. He had chosen to ask Hannah to be his wife, he had decided that. It was no longer a variable; he was going to do it. Yes he was.

At least he was trying to convince himself that that was his choice, his decision, his control.

However the place inside his brain where the niggles, doubts and questions live was glowing bright red/orange showing clear signs of activity.

Booth wished that when the neurosurgeons removed the tumour inside his head they could have removed the niggles along with it. However as his partner would tell m there was no such procedure as a niggle-ectomy so he had to live with them and try to squash them as much as he could himself.

So Instead of working the case of the boy who seemed to have fallen from heaven and imprinted himself in the roof of a building he was sitting in his office Brooding.

Brooding Booth.

He had been on the other side of tipsy when he had made his decision, sweets had made him realise he was too old to be playing this game. He was an adult he loves Hannah they should be married. That was his belief two people who love each other should get married, a man picks a wife and keeps at it.

He picked Hannah.

Hannah his lovely, free spirited, tough live in girlfriend. He had the opportunity to choose the other (The other he couldn't focus too much on because thoughts of her fed the niggles that held up the doubts that formed the questions.) but he hadn't. He picked Hannah and that's all that matters. He would prove that's all that matters by asking her to be his wife.

Happy Hannah.

Booth smiled at that thought.

There was a knock on his door and Booth moved around trying to look busy, momentarily forgetting that his door was made of glass and whoever that was on the other side had probably already seen him Brooding.

"Hay babe" Hannah smiled "Don't worry I won't report that the FBI pay agents to sit and stare at walls"

Booth laughed he loved Hannah.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I got board at work and decided I wanted to have lunch with my handsome soldier." Hannah teased taking hold of Booths tie.

"Oh right, cool is it lunch time already" Booth hid the ring box in his drawer. But not before the reporters keen eye spotted it. Hannah's Brain didn't have niggles and doubts about what was in that box and quite frankly it scared the bejesus out of her. (Bejesus resides in another part of the brain along with the swearwords and fears.)

The relationship was becoming too real. Her life was starting to look mapped out. Seeley, boarding job, a wedding, probable kids, white picket fence house in the suburbs, a dog name Rufus, anniversary dinners, date night, meatloaf Tuesdays, fledgling sex life, neighbourhood watch and eventually a shared grave plot. No no no she was not ready for that she did not want that. She did not want Seeley.

Dammit, how come she hadn't made this realisation a few months ago when she still had a career. Seeley wasn't the one. No matter how she looked at it now she couldn't come up with a scenario that would make her say yes to his proposal. He wasn't enough. He didn't love her enough and she certainly didn't love him enough. This life he was proposing wasn't enough.

Whilst Hannah experienced her head being flipped Booth had collected his wallet and put on his coat ready to leave. He looked over at Hannah and a concerned look took over his face.

"Hay babe are you ok? You look sick."

Hannah raked her brain for a suitable excuse for her now pasty parlour.

"I'm fine I just remembered I haven't signed off on an article that was going to be printed my boss will go nuts if he finds out."

"Boss anxiety, who knew you where such a brown noser." Booth laughed.

"There's plenty you don't know about me Seeley," Hannah said with a serious tone that shifted Booths Mood considerably.

"Oh, yeah well I think I know you very well. Your Hannah, you live in an apartment with your if I don't say so myself very handsome boyfriend, you are a reporter, you like men in uniform, and you like to get yourself in trouble." Booth had his arms around Hannah waste and was motioning for a kiss.

Hannah halted his attempts with a shuffle out of his grip. "Really, Booth is that all you know."

"No, of course not. I know you Hannah."

"As well as you know Temperance?" Hannah was angry at booth and she knew bringing up her boyfriends partner always put him on the defence.

"I know you in a very different way to how I know Bones," Booth deflected "And that is not fair you said you where ok with the situation you can't use it against me just because you are having a bad day at work."

"You're right I am sorry. Let just leave it. I will see you at home Seeley." Hannah was defeated. There was too much going on inside her head to think straight to argue with Seeley.

"What about lunch?"

"The articles remember. Why don't you call Temperance?" Hannah said as she started to exit the office.

"Hay..." Booth said angrily

"That wasn't a jibe Seeley, you need to eat and I sometimes fear she doesn't remember to eat unless someone reminds her to. She's my friend Seeley, I care about her. I would never want to see her hurt in any way." Hannah shook her head.

"Bones can take care of herself, Hannah; she hates it when people feel the need to feed her." Booth replied.

"That wasn't what I was talking about." Hannah replied cryptically a she finally left the office.

Booth sat back in his chair wondering what had just happened. One minute Hannah was Happy Hannah then ten minutes later she was leaving looking sad and giving out cryptic messages. Where all women this hard to figure out?

With that though he picked up his phone and called the one woman who he at least knew would always be honest with him.

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Please review to let me know where you want this story to go.


	4. Chapter 4

Angela sat in the Dinner across from her best friend. Who was staring out towards the street heavy in thought? There frivolous conversation had lasted all the way to the diner and up until they paused to order after Angela had lost her friend back into her big ass brain and she had learned after years of knowing Brennan that it was best to let her figure things out her way.

Angela had decided to puzzle through her best friends angry speech she had made earlier. It was times like these that it was best just to take a step back and look at things from a different perspective. She had also learned that confronting her friend without a well rounded argument never ended well.

Brennan was considering how she should act around Booth, should she tell him she knows. Should she pretend she didn't let him tell her after all this was generally news people like to share with their friends. Booth was her friend wasn't he.

So both friends sat contemplating their own failings waiting on their orders. That's when Cam entered.

"Oh thank god you two are here. I heard you had a fight and then I couldn't find either of you and I was scared either of you had run. And you know my life would be over, my really good happy social life would be over, because you two are kind of irreplaceable in the lab. And I freaked out. Which was obviously unnecessary? The intern made it sound like www3 had broken out and I'm paranoid and I think I may have developed abandonment issues after you all left last time. Michelle wants to go to Maine."

The anthropologist and the artist smiled.

"Maine is nice." Angela laughed.

"Closer than oxford or Cambridge." Brennan quipped.

"Ha ha it's not funny she wants to go to a different state to follow her boyfriend. They have only been dating for 4 months. What is it with everyone and committing so fast? Paul and I have been seeing each other for nearly a year and we are only just having actual dates. "

"We have heard this already, what's brought on the added neuroses?" prodded Angela.

"I got a phone call from Booth. He wants to propose to Hannah. Isn't this all going too fast? I mean its Booth; he took 4 months of dating to finally sleep with me. And now he meets this girl and in less than 6 months he is proposing. Is it me or... do I just give out this go at glacial speed vibe."

Angela snorted out the milkshake she had been drinking.

"No Cam, definitely not your more the 'come and get it tiger' type" she reassured. "Booth is usually the go slow type. He took 6 years to tell Bren he wanted to be more than work colleges."

"Angela" Brennan scolded.

"Everyone already knew that Brennan, Booth told us."

"Booth told you?" Brennan asked "God does Booth tell everyone but me everything. He is such a hypocrite. He told me that what goes on between us is ours and..."

"Finally your anger is focused in the right direction." Angela cheered.

"Was this what you fight was about?" Cam asked.

"Yes"

"No"

The pair answered at the same time.

"Ok, glad we cleared that up." Cam joked as she signalled for a coffee.

"Do you still have feelings for Booth?" Brennan asked after a silence had settled around the table.

Cam scoffed "even though the fact that as your boss that is a highly inappropriate question for you to ask, I'm going to answer because I sometimes value your presences,"

"A minute ago I was irreplaceable" Brennan interrupted.

Cam glared but did not rebuff the statement preferring to keep going with her original point "I no longer have any romantic feelings for Seeley Booth only plutonic ones. He is an old friend who I have seen naked."

"Then why do you care about how long he has been dating Hannah before he proposed?" Brennan asked logically.

Angela sat back enjoying the play by play.

"Because he is my friend and I am worried he is making a mistake." Cam offered.

"But Booth says that when you meet the one you love the most you just know. Why would Booth wait if he believes Hannah is the one he is meant to spend his life with?"

"Booths almost 40 and hasn't had one successful relationship, he is full of s#*t." Cam replied evenly.

"So you are saying as Booths former romantic partner that Booth has no idea how to form lasting committed relationships." Brennan said with curious eyes then added "Hannah doesn't want to get married or at least she didn't."

"Exactly" Cam agreed sipping her Coffee. "He believes in family values and marriage however he has no idea how to be that guy because he has never been part of a happy family 2.4 kids etc."

Angela was over the moon swooning in glee. "See Bren Booths an idiot."

"No, that's sad. What Cam said is Sad." Brennan looked back over to her friend. "It's horrible really, he is stuck in this awful paradox where he wants something he can never experience because he has unrealistic ideas of what it should be. It's terrible."

Cam was shocked to see the usually stoic scientist with tears raining down her face. Angela reached out to grab her friend's hand.

"Hay it's not your fault he was like that before you two met." Soothed Angela.

"I know I just want to know how he ever will be happy; I let him go because I thought I was unable to live up to his expectations. But no-one can. I broke his heart and mine because I assumed Booth knew what he wants." Brennan choked.

Angela and Cam stood and watched as the anthropologist stood.

"I- I have to stop him. I have to make him realise that he is making a mistake, he is forcing is hand. I have to go..."

Brennan left the dinner with a determined step.

"Did that just happen." Cam questioned.

"Yep. Our girls all grown up." Angela laughed before starting to munch on Brennan's discarded fries having finished her own.

Cam went to pick out a fry when she was stopped with a glare from the pregnant woman.


	5. Chapter 5

Booth having finally managed to focus on work instead of the women in his life was sitting in the interrogation room talking to the girlfriend of the victim.

She wasn't giving him much but he knew she hadn't done it she loved the guy and being informed of his death had destroyed her world, no way was her reaction faked. Booth would bet his career on it.

He had entered the room still ruminating on his call to Cam his oldest friend knowing that she would be wonderfully honest in her answer on whether proposing was a god idea. He had assumed a favourable supportive answer. Unfortunately he didn't receive one.

Flash Back

"I bought a ring" Booth interrupted Cams cheery greeting they had known each other too long to bother with the formalities.

"A ring" came Cams shaky reply.

"I'm going to Marry Hannah"

"She said yes" Cam sounded surprised.

"I haven't asked her yet I just wanted to tell my old friend" Booth added with forced pleasantness, _why did cam seem surprised_?

"It's just really soon" Cam hesitated.

"I love her"

"I'm not questioning that... it's just is this what you really want? You want Hannah?"

"Of course I want Hannah, who wouldn't?"

"She is very beautiful."

"Exactly and I'm going to be the lucky guy who gets to have her on his arm."

There was silence on the other side of the line.

"Cam"

More silence.

Booth looked at his phone making sure he was still connected.

"Cam"

"Sorry Booth I have to go Ange and Bren apparently just started ww3 in the middle of my lab..."

With that Cam had ended the call.

End of flashback

Cam had had a point it was soon maybe he should wait. He had bought the ring that meant something but he didn't necessarily need to use it, she had only moved in 3 months ago. However the niggle that sounded a bit too much like Sweets was yelling telling him not to miss his chance again to make the most of this moment before he got to old.

Luckily the breakdown of the girl in front of him had sufficiently distracted him from his own pitiful life.

He was once again fully invested in the case, his earlier shifted focus forgotten. So as he left he didn't expect to see the shadow that belonged to his partner on the other side of the mirror.

Bones.

Booth entered the observation room and was instantly struck by her scent, strawberries today, his partner was like a human fruit bowl, day to day her scent changed, she had once told him it was to ensure she never got used to one smell she needed her own scent to mask that of the decomposing bodies, if she never mixed it up, after a couple of weeks the effect of the scent would no longer mask the uglier smells she encountered.

Booth loved it; the unpredictable way she always smothered his senses, but always having that underlying component that was just her so that he always recognised her.

Dammit.

She cleared her throat that little noise that made his ears jump to attention at the side of his face. She only did that when she had something important to say or when she was nervous. To Booth that meant that he was only going to be listening to her voice until she was done. A bomb could go off but Booth wouldn't her it above the melody of her voice.

But the thing he loved most about when she talked like this is her ability to shush even the voices in his head giving him a moment to just feel her words.

Dammit.

She stared at him straight in the eye something she hadn't done since that night in the Car, not this way at least like she was trying to decipher his soul. Those Blue orbs begged to be stared into. The gate way into her sole one he didn't think he could ever decipher. But he wanted to try anyway.

He loved how looked. The verb and the adjective.

Dammit.

She liked her lips and Booth was reminded of her taste in the most primal reminder of her. He had kissed those lips he had liked it.

Dammit.

She sighed and reached out to pull him fully through the door to the observation room. Her touch light on his arm. Sent shivers.

Dammit.

She had invaded all of his senses in a matter of seconds and bolstered out any of his sense.

She had his focus, 100%. He was done for.

"Sit"

"Bones"

"Sit" she insisted so he sat in the rolling chair back towards the interrogation room.

"Ok" he nodded giving her the prompt to start.

"I know." She didn't need to tell him what she knew he could see it in her eyes.

"You know" he nodded feeling sheepishly like one of those Nodding dogs.

"Sweets told me" She squirmed, he knew that there couldn't have been a worse person to have had delivered the news.

"He had no right" he agreed. She nodded less like a mindless toy more like an umpire deciding what was a foul.

"That doesn't matter" She stopped nodding and shook. Her hair brislings over her face hiding her eyes from him. He missed them

"I should have told you" He said tilting her head.

"Yes, but you didn't." She sounded resigned "Why?"

He knew the question would come it was the reason she was here after all "I didn't want to disappoint you"

"You did anyway, how are we meant to be friends, partners if you feel the need to hide your life form me?" Brennan countered.

"It was just too hard." This time he dropped her gaze.

"What's too hard? Be honest, is telling me harder than proposing to Hannah?" Brennan used his head tilting trick.

"Yes" he stared her into to the dark recesses of each other's souls.

"Then you are making the wrong decision." She said simply before adding "Don't propose to Hannah she will not make you Happy Booth"

With that the invading woman quickly left his presence.

Dammit.


	6. the bridge

Hannah was caught between feeling relived and panicked.

Relief because she had solved her boring job problem and panic because she had to tell booth.

Hannah had went back to her office at the post and without any real thought began packing. She packed her laptop, she packed her portfolio she packed her address book and left. She left a message with her editor that she was back off east and to call if he needed a freelance war correspondent.

Hannah had savings she could work freelance for a while after all she hadn't been paying rent to stay in D.C. nor had she paid rent in Afghanistan. She had the resources to just be free for a while. She needed it after the stifling life of D.C.

The anxiety over telling Booth wasn't because she felt guilty for misleading him but because she feared he would regress into the Brooding man she met in the desert. Hannah had seen his transformation into this outwardly happy man and she knew she had been good for him. BUT he had not been good for her.

Booth had become a happier man but she wasn't sure if it was her who was the catalyst or if it was the love of a good woman. Hannah guessed it was the later. Booth was happy because he felt he was fulfilling his role as a man, not because his life had got any better. It was his own self perception that had changed not his heart.

Hannah had learned that you have to take responsibility for her own happiness because that is the only happiness you are really responsible for. She hoped Booth would learn that lesson to.

Booth sent her a text telling her to meet him on the bridge that looks over the Mall. Booth had an attachment to the mall that she put down to him being a soldier. However sometimes she wondered how much of a soldier Booth is. Sometimes she felt that being the FBI agent was more important to him than being the soldier. Citizens before country. She was in love with the soldier who was still back in the desert.

A bridge a good place to say good bye she thinks.

Standing on the Bridge Booth fiddles with the Box. No way could he propose. But he had to confess what Brennan had told him. He needed absolution from Hannah.

He is looking glumly over the night time view of his city. A bridge overlooking is mall. He never took Hannah to the Mall. The mall was Bones place. It was funny he was the soldier but he never felt at piece here without her. He couldn't look at the monuments and feel like he was honouring his fallen comrades. Statues and figurines where art, War is nothing like art.

Soldiers don't die to be remembered the fight to keep their country safe and free. Therefore to Booth honouring them can be done by doing his part to keep people safe and free. He knew that every day he honoured them.

Bones likes this place. He doesn't know why. He reminds himself to ask. She probably has some Anthropological mumbo jumbo reason.

He hears the click of Hannah's heals and turns to greet her.

Hannah had got dressed up. She wanted Seeley to remember her. She knew tonight was probably going to be the last time they saw each other and she wanted it to be special.

"Hay soldier"

"Hi" Booth smiled.

There was a moment of silence between them. Awkward.

"A bridge." Hannah stated

"Yeah, it was meant to be symbolic, crossing together, meeting halfway, I'm not sure." Booth smirked

"Right, bridges are also really good places to go separate ways. To go back or move forward." Hannah said seriously.

"Ok not the best choice then." Booth gave out a sigh this wasn't going to end well.

"No"

There was a poignant pause and Booth chose to broach the subject on his mind.

"I got a ring."

Hannah was silent.

"I can't propose. Bones told me not to. She is normally right." Booth stopped looking at Hannah and chose to look out over the Mall

"She is" Hannah said stoically

Booth looked up at Hannah not having expected her to have agreed.

"She is?"

Hannah thought it best to be blunt

"Yep, I don't want to marry you, that's not what I'm about that's not what we are about."

"You came to D.C for me" Booth argued.

"I thought I loved you enough but I don't. I hate it here." Hannah said sadly

"What?" Booth was enraged she didn't love him. He turned his whole world upside down for her and she didn't love him "You haven't said anything. If you hated it here why didn't you tell me?"

Hannah reacted to his tone with a matching one of her own.

"I told you my job was boring. I told you I am not a kid person. I made it clear I was a wanderer. How are you surprised by this?"

Booth was sturck with her question he remembered her saying all those things but had never really believed it. "I thought you wanted us."

Hannah softened "I wanted to not be alone. I did not want to settle I did not want to be tied down. There's a huge difference."

Booth was confused. Still staring into the distance to hide his teary eyes

"I am all about settling down Hannah why did you move here?"

Hannah was offended that he thought she was the one who change but it had been him.

"No my Seeley wasn't. My Seeley like to watch sunrises and laugh. You haven't genuinely laughed since we got back"

When Booth is confused it always leads him to rage which is why he bit back angrily.

"So you think I should be more light-hearted. I can't Hannah I have responsibilitys I'm a grown up."

Seeing that the softened approach wasn't helping Hannah went for the jugular for the second time that day.

"Grown-ups, don't believe in fantasies and fairytales Seeley."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Booth sneered

"Temperance, Seeley. You think you can live this fantasy life where you aren't in love with her." Hannah continued.

"I'm not." Booth said indignantly

Hannah just stared at Booth as if pushing him to admit the truth.

"Fine. Ok fine. But it doesn't matter. We wouldn't work. Every time we try we mess it up. I can't be with her she is too hard."

"So you settle for second best." Hannah was disgusted.

"No that's not what I meant." Booth groaned in frustration "there's not always a winner and a looser, you are amazing. You are like hitting the Jackpot."

Hannah understood now. She saw her place in Seeley's world. She was like the dangerous addiction he had given up. She was to him like winning at craps all day. Happiness but not true happiness because you have to keep playing for the feeling to stay, you have to keep Gambling. That's what this proposal was about; he needed the rush of winning again.

"But she's like winning a gold medal." Hannah conceded. "she is hard to come by."

"Huh"

"Look being with me was just good luck for you. At some point your luck runs out. That point is now. I'm leaving. Go be with her Seeley, she deserves it, and so do you. Temperance and I aren't in the same competition; you don't need luck to be with her." Hannah laughed hoping to come out of this looking like the good one. The sane one.

Booth shook his head. "You think just because you aren't here that her and I will just..." you aren't event the issue... I guess you are just my way of hiding the issues."

"That may be the case. Issues or not she loves you a lot"

"I thought you just said love wasn't enough."

"Yeah, but you have more than love with her, you have friendship, loyalty and a long history. You are tied together."

"Hannah."

"Seeley"

They both smiled.

"Let's make tonight good. Forget about all this for a while and celebrate the fun we had then I will go home collect my stuff and leave and you can have a drink with Temperance, By the time you get back this will all just be a memories a good one because I'm hot and a really good person."

Booth laughed excepting Hannah arm as they walked down the St for their last meal together.


	7. family

Booth sat at the Bar of the Founding Fathers he knew she would be in; she had had a hard day to.

So he sat nursing a glass of middle dollar whisky he usually only drank when celebrating. Hannah had told him to celebrate their relationship not morn it.

She had been smart to say that. She had made sure that it wasn't the worst break up he had ever had.

It still sucked.

He saw the squints enter but none of them approached him. Obviously sensing his need to be alone, or that he was waiting on her. They sat at the table on the other side of the Bar celebrating the end of the case. Apparently Brennan had managed to solve the case after she had left him. He liked to think she had decided not dwell on him and got back to work because that's who she is. But he knew better, he knew that she only worked so compulsively when she was dwelling, when her mind was a mess and she could escape into the world of the dead.

Booth wished he didn't know that, it would be easier to move on if he believed she was just uncaring. Instead he knew she just cared a little too much and she couldn't deal with it so she decided not to.

When the door opened and the street air blew in the smell of lavender filled his nostrils. She had gone home to change wash the day off. He had done the same.

He turned his head acknowledging her and nodded his head for her to join him. She shook her head once and gave him the signal to wait for a moment.

He watched her go over to the squints probably to get information on how long he had been here and how much he had had to drink. Never approach a situation without all the relevant information. She would have made a good soldier.

She left the group, Angela holding her hand as far as possible.

"Hay" she said as she sat beside him.

" 'lo" he replied.

"You didn't listen to me did you?" Brennan asked with her usual lack of tact.

"Hannah didn't want to marry me. But you knew that didn't you. That's why you told me not to ask her."

"It's not the only reason."

"I didn't have to ask her she had already seen the ring and panicked, sees on her way off east."

"Oh, then I didn't help."

"No, only made it easier for her to leave. Made her feel less guilty I guess."

"Oh, I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"I was going to get hurt either way." Brennan just continued to listen she new in times like this Booth just wants to be listened to. "Hannah said I live I a fantasy world where I pretend not to love you, Hannah said I didn't care about what she wanted only about what I wanted- well she didn't say that but it was defiantly implied. She decided I didn't love her just the euphoria around her."

Booth ordered a drink for Brennan.

"I wasn't proposing to Hannah because I was falling back in love with you. Hannah said proposing was just another gamble. That pissed me off Bones. I quit Gambling you made me quit. I'm a good man I deserve to be happy. But all I get for doing the honourable thing is rejection. Every freaking time. What the hell am I doing wrong?"

Brennan cleared her throat.

"Are you done?"

"Not even started Bones. This is BS total BS. Who follows a man to another country if she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life with them? Who moves in with a man if she doesn't plan on marring him? Who the F#*k does she think she is?"

Booth swallowed his drink and ordered another.

Brennan placed her hand over his drink before he had a chance to down it.

Booth just pushed her hand away.

"She comes here I make a life for us. I mess up everything we had and she doesn't love me enough."

He pauses and Brennan feels brave enough to talk again.

"Done?" Booth sneers but doesn't start talking again.

"Ok, Booth I possessed knowledge about Hannah's situation that you did not. I'm not taking her side, she did some things wrong in this mess to and I certainly would have preferred your relationship to have stayed in the desert but I can empathise."

Booth grunted.

"Not in the mood for you to mess with my head a second time today."

Brennan shook her head and got up from her chair to stand next to Booth. "Ok, I won't tell you, I'll wait. I can wait. But don't think this gets you out of hearing this Booth because the only way to grow is to learn from your mistakes and acknowledge them. I made a mistake that night I was selfish and scared. I didn't take into consideration all the good things you have done for me all the stuff you have sown me all the stuff you have thought me about love. I've acknowledged my mistakes Booth. Now it's your turn. Maybe then I will be able to teach you something's about family because mine is pretty great."

"Your Dad a murderer and you Brother's a petty thief not the best group of people I have ever known. They abandoned you for 15 years and you think you can teach me about family." Booth chuckled.

"Yes, because they weren't the people I was talking about. I'm talking about the people over there that came to this Bar to make sure you where ok tonight. I'm talking about the people who look up to you as a hero. I'm talking about the people who already know you are a good man. We may not look like a family or share DNA, but we are one Booth and your part of it. So stop Brooding and join them whilst we celebrate the fact we caught a murderer."

Booth sighed "I'm not in the mood for company Bones."

"Tough, you're the one who is so desperate for a family, you can't abandon them just because your life sucks." Bones said pulling Booth with her over to the rest of the squints.

"Fine but no group hugs."

Brennan smiled knowing she had cheered Booth up.

* * *

Thats the end folks. Well except for an epiloge. Angela and Brennan still need to get there revenge on Sweets.

* * *

I may do a sequeal if there is call to.


	8. epiloge

Sweets awoke in a dimmed alley way in the centre of D.C. he poked his head out from between two bin bags.

_Whoa what the hell had happened?_

He was somewhere between an Indian restaurant and a pig farm was all he could tell from the smell of the garbage.

He shook his head hoping to regain some focus and some memories. _Nope. Gone._

He clutched his head figuring that would stop the stampede of elephants racing through his mind.

He ached with a hangover from the toes of his numb feet to the tips of his greasy hair. God when was the last time he showed he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. He put his hand in front of his face to see it was now covered in something brown and slimy.

_Yuck._

He slowly disengaged himself from the pile of garbage and mucus.

That's when he saw what he was wearing, a once white t-shirt with a picture of himself riding a mechanical bull in jodhpurs and a pink bra on the front with the slogan "DO NOT MESS WITH MY BEST FRIEND!" emboldened at the bottom.

_What the hell? Crap. He must have been wasted. _

His chest hurt like he had grazed it along a wall, he noticed blood under the picture where his heart would be.

He lifted his t-shirt to assess the wound only to be confronted with a worse nightmare, he had got a tattoo.

He carefully lifted the gauze to see a slogan "BONES THE HEART OF THE MATTER: never forget" surrounding a beautifully drawn skull.

A drawing that could only have been accomplished by one artist very well accented with the human skeleton.

Angela was evil when you messed with her best friend.

* * *

Well that was Cathartic. Thanks for all the reviews. A sequeal will come in time.


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